1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for treating systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) by contacting the bodily fluid of a patient with renal tubule cells outside of the kidney.
2. Background of the Invention
The mortality from sepsis complicated by renal failure remains extremely high despite the application of modem renal replacement therapy. The systemic inflammatory response syndrome, or SIRS, is a catastrophic sequela of a variety of clinical insults, including infection, pancreatitis, and cardiopulmonary bypass, and claims over a quarter million lives in the US each year. [Refs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
The exceptionally high mortality associated with the syndrome is due in part to the development of the highly lethal multiple system organ failure syndrome, or MSOF, in a subset of patients with SIRS. The sequential failure of organ systems apparently unrelated to the site of the initial insult has been correlated with altered plasma cytokine levels observed in sepsis. [Refs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12].
The mortality is especially high in patients with MSOF and acute renal failure (ARF). The excess mortality seen in patients with sepsis and ARF is not ameliorated by conventional renal replacement therapy, which treats volume overload, uremia, acidosis, and electrolyte derangements.[Refs. 13, 4].
Accordingly, there remains an ongoing need for new methods for treating patients with SIRS.
It is an object of the present invention to provide methods for treating patients with SIRS.
The present invention is based, in part, on the discovery that a body fluid of a patient with SIRS can be contacted with renal tubule cells outside of the kidney. As a result of this contact, the tubule cells introduce mediators into the body fluid. After contact with the tubule cells, at least a portion of the body fluid is recirculated to the patient, where the mediators induce a response in the patient which leads to amelioration of the SIRS state. As a result of this contact, the tubule cells introduce mediators into and/or reabsorb mediators from the body fluid.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of treating a patient with SIRS, comprising:
contacting, outside of the kidney, at least a portion of a body fluid of the patient with renal tubule cells.
The present invention also provides a method of treating a patient with SIRS, comprising:
removing a portion of body fluid from the patient,
contacting the removed body fluid with renal tubule cells, and
returning at least a portion of the body fluid which has been contacted with the renal tubule cells to the patient.